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How Broccoli Fights Cancer

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Just a few additional portions of broccoli each week could protect men from prostate cancer. Researchers believe a substance called isothiocyanate in the broccoli sparks hundreds of genetic changes, activating some genes that fight cancer and switching off others that fuel tumors.

Prostate cancer kills more men than any other kind except for lung cancer. Each year, 680,000 men worldwide are diagnosed with the disease and about 220,000 will die from it.

The benefit derived from broccoli would likely also be available from other cruciferous vegetables that contain isothiocyanate, including Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, arugula, watercress and horseradish.

Sources:

* Reuters July 1, 2008

* PLoS ONE July 2, 2008; 3(7):e2568

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Fruits & Vegetables Herbs & Plants

Broccoli-The Best Health Vegetable

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Botanical Name: Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae).
Family: Cabbage

Description:Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family, and is closely related to cauliflower. Its cultivation originated in Italy. Broccolo, its Italian name, means “cabbage sprout.” Because of its different components, broccoli provides a range of tastes and textures, from soft and flowery (the floret) to fibrous and crunchy (the stem and stalk). Do not let the smell of the sulfur compounds that are released while cooking keep you away from this highly nutritious vegetable. …….CLICK & SEE
It is classified as the Italica Cultivar Group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli possesses abundant fleshy flower heads, usually green in colour, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk. The large mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli most closely resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivar group of the same species, but broccoli is green rather than white. In the United States, the term refers exclusively to the form with a single large head. This form is sometimes called “Calabrese” in the United Kingdom, where sprouting (non-heading) types and those with underdeveloped flower buds are also sold as broccoli.

Varieties:
There are three commonly grown types of broccoli. The most familiar is sometimes called Calabrese in Great Britain and simply ‘broccoli’ in North America. It has large (10 – 20 cm) green heads and thick stalks, and is named after Calabria in Italy where it was first cultivated. It is a cool season annual crop.

Sprouting broccoli has a larger number of heads with many thin stalks. It is planted in May to be harvested during the winter or early the following year in temperate climates.

Romanesco broccoli has a distinctive fractal appearance of its heads, and is yellow-green in colour. It is technically in the Botrytis (cauliflower) cultivar group

Purple cauliflower is a type of broccoli sold in southern Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. It has a head shaped like cauliflower, but consisting of tiny flower buds. It sometimes, but not always, has a purple cast to the tips of the flower buds.


PLANT CHARACTERISTICS

Overview. The edible part of the broccoli plant is a tender stem and unopened flower buds. They are a good source of Vitamin A, calcium, and riboflavin or B2. Broccoli and cauliflower are quite similar morphologically, but the broccoli produces a green head with longer and more slender floret stalks than cauliflower. After the main stem has been harvested, the axillary buds that are lower on the main stem are induced to develop into smaller heads, which can also be harvested in home gardens. They are not harvested in commercial production....CLICK & SEE
Cultivation, preparation and nutritional value:
Broccoli is a cool-weather crop that does poorly in hot summer weather. Other cultivar groups of Brassica oleracea include: cabbage (Capitata Group), cauliflower (Botrytis Group), kale and collard greens (Acephala Group), kohlrabi (Gongylodes Group), and Brussels sprouts (Gemmifera Group). Chinese broccoli (Alboglabra Group) is also a cultivar group of Brassica oleracea. It is usually boiled or steamed, but may be eaten raw and has become popular as a raw vegetable in hors-d’oeuvre trays. It is high in vitamin C and soluble fiber and contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties including diindolylmethane and selenium. The 3,3′-Diindolylmethane found in broccoli is a potent modulator of the innate immune response system with anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity. Broccoli also contains the compound glucoraphanin, which can be processed into an anticancer compound sulforaphane, though the benefits of broccoli are reduced if the vegetable is boiled. A high intake of broccoli has been found to reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Broccoli leaf is also edible and contains far more betacarotene than the florets

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Ideal for harvest
Root System. The seedling will generally produce a red colored hypocotyl, two notched cotyledons and a tap root with lateral roots. Usually during transplanting the tap root is damaged and therefore many adventitious roots will arise. Most of the roots are 0.5 mm with few reaching 1 cm thick. In the beginning the roots are quite shallow and the lateral roots are growing horizontally. The roots can be found up to 3 feet away from the plant. After a few months of growing some of the roots will mine vertically to a depth of 1.5-2 m. The majority of the roots occur in the top 20-30 cm. The root system that develops is influenced greatly by water and cultivation.
Stem. The stem is waxy, usually unbranched and, from it arise the leaves and flower heads.
Leaves. The leaves are simple, alternate and without stipules. Many times they are pinnately lobed.
Flower. Branched flower clusters form on 2-2 ½ ft tall plants. The flowers are bright yellow. There are four sepals, six stamens, two carpal and four petals. Broccoli flowers have a superior ovary. The buds are dark green and tightly packed on top of the plant. Broccoli exposed to 40°F will initiate flower primordia much quicker than plants grown in higher temperatures. The flowers are pollinated mostly by bees.
Seed. The fruit of broccoli is a glabrous silique. There are between 10-30 seed per silique. About 325 seed will constitute a gram, and approximately 9,000 seeds make up an ounce. It will take about 144,000 broccoli seed to make up a pound. The seed should be planted ½ inches deep. It will take the seed about 10 days to germinate.
In popular culture
In 1928, when broccoli was still something of a novelty in the United States, a cartoon appeared in the New Yorker magazine. A mother and child are seated at the table, and the mother says, “It’s broccoli, dear.” The child replies, “I say it’s spinach, and I say the hell with it.”

In Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 film 24 Hour Party People, Tony Wilson explains that James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli invented broccoli by cross-pollinating cauliflower and “a green thing”, then using the profits to fund the Bond movies.

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Click to see:->

Broccoli Boosts Aging Immune Systems

How Broccoli Fights Cancer

Broccoli May Undo Diabetes Damage

Broccoli ‘May Help Protect Lungs’

BROCCOLI: THE CROWN JEWEL OF NUTRITION

WHFoods: Broccoli

Broccoli is a Super Food.

Details About Broccoli

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli
http://www.uga.edu/vegetable/broccoli.html

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Featured

Which Foods Really Cause Flatulence?

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Certain foods are common causes of flatulence, and temporarily avoiding these foods can help you determine if they âre a problem for you. According to the Mayo Clinic Health Letter, the following foods are likely to cause gassiness:

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*Dairy products, which contain sugar lactose that causes gas

*Vegetables, including onions, radishes, cabbage, celery, carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and legumes

*Fruit sugar, which is especially high in prunes, raisins, bananas, apples, apricots and fruit juices from prunes, grapes and apples

*Fiber

*Fatty foods and carbonated drinks

*Additionally, artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol may also cause flatulence.

Food manufacturers have begun to develop products that promise to not cause flatulence. For instance, in 2006 a flatulence-free manteca bean was grown in the UK.

Sources: NutraIngredients.com January 4, 2008

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Healthy Tips

Don’t let your diet ruin the big occasion

What you eat and drink plays a critical role in helping you to look and feel your best when you walk down the red carpet.

Although most of us will only ever experience LA’s Kodak Theatre from the comfort of our sitting rooms, we can all relate to the desire to slip effortlessly into our favourite dress to create a special entrance. If the event is just days away, you don’t have time to lose any significant amount of weight, but you can help yourself to feel and appear slimmer by overcoming the dreaded bloat. Scientific studies establishing the best “antibloat” plans are virtually nonexistent, but we are lucky enough to have a few enlightened doctors and medical herbalists to give us some assistance.

Go salt free. As Graham MacGregor, a Professor of Medicine at St Georges Hospital, southwest London, explains:   When we eat excess salt, our bodies hold on to extra water to dilute its presence. Such retention of salt causes us to hang on to as much as 1.5 litres (two and a half pints) of fluid, causing weight gains of around 1kg (2-3lb). Switching to a low salt intake can cause losses of this fluid.  Bloating and swollen ankles can  deflate   within days.  Exactly the same principles apply to the menstrual cycle, where many women swell up. A reduced salt intake can often relieve symptoms dramatically,  he says.

The best way to do this is to cut out all processed foods
, since 75 per cent of our salt comes from these. Stick with sugar-free muesli or eggs for breakfast and lean meat and fish with lots of salads and vegetables at other meals, with fruit for snacks.

Eat slowly. Dr John Hunter, a consultant physician at Ad-denbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, and an authority on food in relation to the gut, advises:  Treat your gut with respect. Eating very quickly and drinking fluids at the same time makes it more likely that you will swallow a lot of air, leading to bloating. Avoid chewing gum, too, since it to can cause you to swallow extra air.

Destress.
It is worth taking it easy and trying to relax before a big night out.  It is not uncommon for people to hyperventilate without being aware that they are doing so,  Dr Hunter says.  During the day large volumes of air can be swallowed in this way, resulting in bloating.  Chamomile tea is certainly worth trying, to help you to calm down. As medical herbalists such as Dr Ann Walker, of Reading University, tell us, its active volatile oils contain the compound apigenin, which acts on the same parts of the brain and nervous system as those affected by antianxiety drugs and can calm both our minds and our digestive tracts.

Swap to soya milk. Lactose is the sugar in milk and if not digested properly by the enzyme lactase in the small intestine, it passes into the colon to be fermented by bacteria that produce gases and cause bloating. Lactose intolerance can be absolute and for life, yet some of us can experience transient symptoms. Swapping to soya milk for a few days may just help to relieve a bout of bloating. Avoid vegetables with gassy notoriety.Burbulence, the various windy symptoms that arise from gas in the gut, is said to be encouraged by peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Avoiding these is probably a good idea on your   Oscar  day.

Beans, too, can notoriously cause bloating, as Dr W. Grant Thompson, professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa, explains in his book Gut Reactions:   Beans contain a   wind factor’ consisting of the complex saccharides stachyose and raffinose. These cannot be absorbed by the intestine because the enzymes necessary for their digestion do not exist in humans. Certain colon bacteria are capable of metabolising these substances, thereby releasing hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide.

Avoid fizzy drinks.
Both Dr Hunter and Dr Thompson also suggest the elimination of carbonated drinks to avoid abdominal distension. This is well worth doing both the day before your big event and on the evening itself to help to maintain your smooth and elegant lines, although personally I do not think a glass of champagne will hurt.

From:Times on line

Categories
Herbal Beauty & Body Care

Cabbage Leaves for Breast Engorgement

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Your milk has come in and boy do you know it! Perhaps your breasts are so hard and tender your baby can not latch to nurse. Perhaps expressing by hand or pump is not working either. You may be at the point where you will try whatever is available for some relief. It’s time to try Cabbage Leaves. The theory is that there is some chemical in cabbage leaves that reduces milk supply. Research is scant in this area and it isn’t conclusive that cabbage leaves are a miracle cure for engorgement. However there are no harmful effects if used correctly and many women have found them to be very helpful. Cabbage leaves, with the help of your infant nursing frequently (every 2-3 hours), might be the answer for you.Uses for Cabbage Leaves

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  • Local engorgement for specific areas (for example those horrible armpit lumps without other areas of engorgement)
  • Milk engorgement
  • Venous engorgement
  • Suppression of lactation for any reason

 

 

How to use Cabbage Leaves

 

  • Sources state that green, ordinary (not Japanese, etc.) cabbage is preferable.
  • Do not use cabbage leaves if you have an allergy or sensitivity to cabbage (or broccoli, cauliflower or brussell sprouts for that matter). If a rash appears, immediately discontinue using cabbage leaves and call your health care provider.
  • Be warned – there might be a strong odor of cooked cabbage leaves!
  • Wash the leaves thoroughly.
  • The veins can be crushed or removed to allow them to be more form fitting to the breast.
  • They can be chilled in the refrigerator as some feel they are more soothing cold,but it is not necessary.
  • Place in a bra, wrapped around the breast with the nipple exposed.
  • Leave on for 2 hours or until wilted and change to fresh leaves if you need to.
  • Check to see how your breasts are responding with each change and stop using the leaves once engorgement is reduced-prolonged use after engorgement has subsided carries the risk of suppressing your milk production.

 

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(extracted from:http://www.midwifeinfo.com/content/view/51/40/)

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